


Her

by etherealmindss



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Stiles and Malia are childhood besties, bad boy Theo, maleo, malia and theo, new girl malia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-08-19 15:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8215724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherealmindss/pseuds/etherealmindss
Summary: Theo is a broody, notorious bad boy known for his reputation with women. In comes the new girl Malia, Stiles' childhood best friend who moved away a few years ago. And she's not falling all over Theo. In fact, he's kind of a jerk and his over-confidence annoys her and she's the only girl that's ever gotten under his skin. Will the boy with a past fall for the girl with a secret?





	1. Bedroom Eyes

Theo let out a loud sigh, stretching his arms above his head and rolled the kink out of his neck after the night he had the day before. He feels something soft pressed against his side, fingers placed loosely across his stomach and blonde hair covering his chest.

"Fuck" He cursed, remembering the girl he had brought home last night.

What was her name again?

Becca? Brittany? Bethany? Honestly, it didn't really matter, she just needed to leave.

"Hey sweetheart, I need you get up. I have to get ready for school and my dad can't find you here. I assume you can find your way out, right?" He dismisses her tiredly, barely sparing her a glance as he sheds his boxers to get in the shower.

"Are you serious? I thought.. I thought you liked me. And now you're just asking me to leave? What the hell, Theo." The blonde splutters in disbelief at the lack of care in his voice.

"Look doll, what we had was fun and maybe we could do this again sometime. But you know I'm not the commitment type. I don't want to be your boyfriend or anyone else's. These past couple of weeks were wild, crazy, and the sex was great... Don't get me wrong. I'm just not the guy to bring home to mommy and daddy. You understand, right?" He looks at her for a moment before shutting the bathroom door in her face. All that could be heard was the sound of the shower running.

The girl angrily stormed out of the room with a huff after retrieving her clothes off the floor, a string of profanities on the tip of her tongue.

Twenty minutes later Theo emerges from the bathroom with a towel hung low on his hips. The smell of his latest fling lingered in his nose and covered the bed. The air reeked of her flowery perfume, causing Theo to grimace and scrunch his nose. He'd have to remember to replace those sheets.

He had decided against shaving his stubble. Girls loved it because it added a ruggedness to his already devilish good looks that match his brooding personality.

It was a known fact that Theo loved women. All women. Tall, short, skinny, curvy, blonde, brunette, redhead, you name it. He was a man of equal opportunity.

Of course, there was a reason behind his promiscuous appetite that no one knew about, not even his friends.

Theo is an only child and lives with his father Deucalion, Duke for short. His mother left them when he was a mere eight years old. Sweet-as-sunshine, little Theo would never forget the look on his father's face when his mother walked out, spewing hateful words and promises to never come back. She kept saying how she never loved him and how Theo was a mistake that Duke had thrust upon her. He remembers cradling his dad's face in his small hands, hoping his touch would help him feel less broken. He hated his mother, cursed her name on nights that he was left alone to dwell on how his life became such a pathetic existence. But his father still loves her, bears the pain of her absence till this day, so Theo stays strong for him and tries not to talk badly of her in front of him.

His dad is a sweet, humble man and the greatest person Theo has ever known. If someone as amazing and gentle as his dad could get fucked over by love, there was no luck for him. He may have gotten a lot of traits from his dad, but he also inherited some of his mother's personality. Theo is impulsive, reckless, charming, manipulative, and cold. His father believes that there is good in him, and maybe there is. But it's buried far too deep for anyone to reach. This is who he became when the woman who was suppose to love him unconditionally walked out that door, walked out on him.

He shrugs on his scuffed leather jacket, runs his fingers through his tousled brown hair, and is about to head downstairs when he catches a glimpse of the tattoo peeking out of the top of his shirt. He lifts it up and traces his fingers over the bold, intricate lines of the original piece that lays on the right side of his chest. It's a wolf. He drew the design himself after things started to get bad again. He was seeing things all the time and having really depressing thoughts and urges. In his panic, he ran carelessly out into the woods, regardless of what could be out there. He remembers hearing the crunch of the leaves and twigs beneath his boots. In a drunken haze, he fell to the ground and let out a scream, shouting into the void and asking if life will ever get better from there. He took his head out of his hands when the hairs on his arms stood up in a salute and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He felt like he was being watched. And he was right. In front of him stood a glorious, ebony wolf with glistening fur and the most piercing sea green eyes he had ever seen. And for some reason, he wasn't afraid. At first, he thought the wolf would attack him for being on it's territory, but it simply looked at him with it's soulful eyes, as if sensing Theo's loneliness as it's own. Theo had never experienced such a surreal moment in his life, as if their souls were colliding and melting into one. He drew up the sketch straight from memory as soon as he got home, drawing all night until the shading was perfect and the watercolors he used mirrored the exact green of the wolf's eyes. He ran off the next morning to make it a personal, lasting part of him.

He saw himself in the lone wolf, felt like they were connected in a way that he had never been with another human. Releasing himself from the memory, he trekked down the stairs to get going to school. With a quick wave to his dad, he grabs a granola bar off the kitchen counter and walks out the front door to his Baby. 'Baby' is Theo's motorcycle that he fixed up on his own. He had rummaged through numerous garages and junk yards for spare parts until he finally had everything he needed. After months of blood, sweat, and careful attention, the bike purred like a kitten.

Theo arrived at the school and scanned the courtyard through his dark ray bans. He spotted his group of friends standing by a nearby tree talking amongst themselves.

"Theo, hey what's up man. I see you made it home safely last night." Stiles smirked at the other boy's glare.

"Yeah I did, and that girl that came with me was crazy hot and had a great mouth when it wasn't talking my ear off."

"Ew, way too much information. Could you at least try to be a decent human being today?" Lydia scoffed, flipping her long, red hair over her shoulder.

"Depends, could you not be a major pain in my ass today?" He shot back with a sly grin.

"Unlikely." Stiles snorted, which earned him a punch in the shoulder.

"Ouch, Lydia! When did you get so strong?" Stiles spat with a comical expression on his face.

"Aiden taught me a thing or two." She gloats, all heart-eyed over her hockey-player boyfriend.

"Hey dude, isn't Malia coming today?" Scott asks, looking at Stiles.

"Who is Malia?" Theo questions, not really caring but feeling obligated to ask anyway.

"Oh yeah, she should be showing up any minute now. She's my best friend. She moved away a few years ago, but now her and her dad are moving back. You've never met her because she left before you came." Stiles states, suddenly looking around the front of the school in search of his childhood friend.

"I'm so happy she's going to be here, I've missed Malia so much." Allison gushed, excited to have her friend back.

The two girls had always been close, Allison being her first girl friend in Beacon Hills. Malia loved photography and Allison loved making films. They would get together sometimes and work on projects to submit to the local film festivals. Malia's eye for the camera and beautifully aesthetic photos worked magic with Allison's creative genius in the world of film. They would usually invite Lydia to star in their movies since she had a very fluid look and could bring you to tears with her acting skills.

And then there would be those rare moments when the two girls would snap a shot of Malia when she didn't have her nose behind the camera. Every image of her was always so carefree and spirited. You could feel her soul coming alive in every photo, the wind in her brown hair and a lazy grin gracing her lips. She always had this subtle way of lighting up a room. She was quite the old soul with a thirst for all of life's mysteries and meaning.

The bell rang, signaling first period. The group split off and made plans to meet up at lunch.

Theo grumbled as he spotted Tracy making her way towards him. She has had this weird infatuation with him since he moved to Beacon Hills last year. He had decided to pity her because she was kinda cute in an innocent way and agreed to meet her at a local bar one night. I mean what could it hurt, right? He learned quick that she is an absolute lunatic. She would glare at any girl who came near him and went around telling everyone at school the next day that he was her boyfriend. He attempted to brush her off nicely, but that only made her advances escalate. Now she fawns all over him and shows up wherever he is all the time whether it be a party, the beach, or even the grocery store. They also had four classes together. Theo had a sneaking suspicion that she got a hold of his schedule and changed her classes to match his.

"Theo hey!" Tracy ran to catch up with him.

"Tracy... Hi." Theo chuckled nervously, looking anywhere but her.

"You're on your way to Art Appreciation, right? I thought we could walk together."

"Sure... Why not." He smiled through his teeth and proceeded to but a foot of space between them.

Art Appreciation was Theo's favorite class because he was an accomplished painter and loved to draw. He even dabbles in poetry every once in a while if he is feeling sentimental. The class was also great because most people who took the class were either loners, outcasts, or burnouts. They usually made great company and he always found himself having the most thoughtful conversations with the lot of them. Don't let the pretty face fool you. Theo is not a social person. He has his small friend group and the few acquaintances from this class, but he is an introvert at heart. The only reason the whole school knows his name is due to the fact that he's handsome as fuck with his intense slate, grey eyes, a killer smile, and unruly dark brown hair. He's that brooding asshole with the mysterious past and questionable morals that everyone wants to "figure out".

Many girls have tried and failed to capture his attention, to be of some importance to him. They all want to be known as that one special girl that changes Theo Raeken, like they're doing him a favor. They want to save him and every one of them is wasting their time with their pretty words and naive hopes. No one wants to know him, the person behind all the glamour and seduction. They just want a beautiful lie to pacify their insane need to be loved.

The boys envy him. Theo is that guy that steals your girl with a sole glance and his signature panty-dropping smile. A group of guys once tried to gang up on him after school one day when he was taking a cigarette break. Apparently Theo had hooked up with one of their girlfriends. Theo had a rule though, he only slept with single women. He may be a jerk sometimes, but he wasn't a complete dick. But hey, the girl didn't mention a boyfriend, so was the girl ever really that guy's to begin with if she had wanted him so bad? And man, did those guys get a rude awakening. What no one knows is that Theo's dad was in the military for years, which added to the strain in his parent's relationship. After she left, Theo had a lot of anger bottled up, frustration that he needed to let go of. His dad decided to teach him everything he knew about fighting, conflict, and protecting himself. The ass-whooping he left those four guys with put them all in the hospital for a week. Of course no one found out it was him though. He threatened to find them again if word got out that he had been involved.

Tracy is now clinging to his arm, sighing like a school girl with a convoluted crush. He detangles himself from her surprisingly strong grip.

He enters the classroom and is struck by some girl he's never seen before sitting in his seat. She has her head in a book so he can't get a good look at her. As he gets closer, he sees the title of the book she's reading.

A Clockwork Orange. A classic. And his favorite book.

At least she's got good taste.

She's wearing a pink and white stripped shirt covered by distressed overalls with knee high brown socks and black doc martens. Her hair is styled in messy waves and her skin glows a golden bronze from her slight tan. Theo also notices the vintage camera strapped around her neck.

"Can I help you?" She asks boldly without looking up from her book.

"Well Sweetheart, you can. You see you're sitting in my spot, but I think I can make an exception for today. You look better in it anyways" Theo flirts shamelessly, waiting for her to flash those bambi eyes at him and stutter a response back once she's all flustered at her mistake.

"Great, glad you're so understanding." She mutters, eyes still focused on her book.

Theo was thrown for a loop. What the hell was that? No girl dismissed him the way she just did. Never. She didn't even look at him. Who is this girl?

"So, what's your name? Are you new here?" He attempts to gain her attention again, chalking her lack of response up as shyness.

She slams her book shut and turns her gaze on him. Burnt sienna eyes sear his skin with the intensity in her gaze. Her plump, pink lips downturn in a frown and she raises a perfect eyebrow in annoyance. She's fucking gorgeous.

"Gee, what gave it away? Was it the fact that you've never seen me before until today? Or was it the fact that you're used to your obsolete pick up lines making girls with low IQ's and horrible self esteem issues swoon? No shit, Sherlock, I'm new. And my name is Malia, not that it should mean anything to you. Can I get back to my book now? It's quite a horror show." She retorts with finesse and wittiness that rivals his own.

What a thrilling combination.

Of course, Tracy picks the absolute worst time to interfere.

"Um excuse you, do you know who you're talking to? That's Theo Raeken." She interrupts, gesturing to him like it should be obvious who he is.

"Am I suppose to curtsy or something?" She chuckles lightly, sarcasm evident in her smooth voice.

"Everyone wants to talk to Theo. You should be grateful he's giving you the time of day." Tracy exaggerates in her childlike voice with a pout on her face.

"Well, colour me impressed. I might just write about this once in a lifetime experience in my diary later." She smirks darkly and goes back to her book.

Tracy gasps at Malia's blatantly condescending response and scowls at the ghost of a smile on her face.

Theo takes the seat behind Malia and stares at the back of her head the rest of class as if it will help him get inside that pretty head of hers. So this is the girl that is Stiles' best friend? He could kind of see how that would be true by her effortlessly sardonic sense of humor that isn't a far cry from his friend who is known for using his sarcasm as a defense mechanism.

Hmmm, so she's not a fan of pick up lines. That's fine, Theo decides that he'll just have to step up his game. Her rock hard exterior will become paper thin once he lays on the charm a little more. He just need a different approach. She already isn't too fond of him, though. But hey, Theo loves a challenge. It's refreshing for him to have new meat around. And he thirsts for the chase. A game of cat and mouse that will inevitably end with her warming his bed just like all the others.

The bell rings and everyone begins packing up their stuff for next period.

Malia is up and out the door like the sun before a storm, leaving her spicy vanilla scent behind and a dumbfounded Theo in her wake.


	2. Sweet Disposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She was already loosened like long hair, given out like fallen rain" - Rainer Maria Rilke

The weight of water droplets falling like mini kisses on her skin keep Malia's back pressed against the picnic table in the secluded corner of the court yard. She is hiding out here to escape the hum of eager voices and thrill hellos that greeted her in every class. The news of her arrival spread like wildfire, a cacophony of whispers unearthing why she had left in the first place.

All she hears is the echo of her name, and she hears it now... the lonely thrum in her brain where she is reminded of the reason she had left. The storm brewing above her head is the cue she needs to pack up her satchel and make her way to lunch. It's time to mute the voices in her head and go find Stiles. She had missed him so much.

Her boots squeak against the tile as she walks through the familiar set of doors and looks for a boy with a mop of brown hair and a face splattered with moles. She catches his eyes easily. His chair creaks as he shoots out of his seat and makes a dramatic show of running towards her and enveloping her in a hug. When he releases her, she's greeted with a boyish grin and soft brown eyes that immediately remind her of cinnamon apples, the warmth of hot chocolate between her fingers, and autumn leaves.

He brings her in for another hug, his chin resting on the crown of her head.

"I've missed you so much, Mal. Can we please never go that long again with seeing each other?" He whispers, stroking her hair affectionately.

Those who didn't know them would think that they were a couple by the way the two seemed to operate on the same frequency. They were those friends that are comfortable holding hands for security and laying innocent kisses in places that could be misconstrued as romantic. But they never really cared to squash the rumors. It shied away unwanted attention from horny boys and flirtatious girls and honestly, it really wasn't anyone else's business about who they are or their personal lives. But to set the record straight, Stiles and Malia are simply very close friends that share an unspoken connection. They have known each other since they were kids because their parents had been best friends. She remembers how they would laugh and squeal when their moms had made them take bubble baths together. The rest was history.

Stiles pulls her along where she comes face to face with all her friends and... Theo Raeken?

 

During their whole exchange, Theo looked on them with a feeling bubbling inside him that he had never felt before. He couldn't put his finger on it, but seeing Stiles and Malia, his arms around her waist and her hands on his chest, left a bad taste in his mouth.

Stiles would have called her his girlfriend this morning if they were together, right?

Theo swallowed those thoughts as they came to a stop at the table. Malia's eyes scanned the the group, a gorgeous smile gracing her face at all the familiar people, not yet reaching him. This gave him a chance to sit back and observe. Even without knowing her, he deducted that there are just some people who's energy is contagious. They just light up moments in time for all the people they touch in the span of existing. Such magnetism shouldn't be able to exist in one single person. But that was her.

Finally her eyes reach him and she does something that he definitely hadn't expected.

She smirks, a tantalizing secret hidden in the contours of her lips. Yep, Theo is definitely hot and bothered right now. A thick tension blankets the two as they go into a stare off.

"So this is the Edward Cullen wannabe that you told me so much about, Stiles? No need for introductions, we've already met. Apparently, I was sitting in his seat." Malia throws a dig at him, biting into her apple. Her warm, brown eyes sparkle mischievously.

"Ouch, you wound me, Princess. If anything, I'd at least like to be compared to that Jasper fellow, dude's a badass. And you fail to mention how I was so gentlemanly letting you continue to sit there. Most girls would have politely moved to a different chair." He replies in his throaty timber.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I'm not most girls." She ends the conversation with one final heated look, daring him to challenge her.

"She's a little spitfire." Theo muses.

"Malia, Lydia and I are so happy you're back. We were thinking about going to this party tonight, you wanna go? You could come over and we could all get ready together like old times." Allison asked with a hopeful look.

"Yeah Mal, we have to reintroduce you to all the hot guys on the lacrosse team. Those boys won't know what hit them." Lydia wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, letting out a giggle.

"Speaking of lacrosse boys, where's Isaac?" Malia asked.

"Oh scarf boy? He's currently holed up in the art room, nothing exciting. But about that party tonight, I could keep you company there. I'll be your date if you ask me nicely. And since you seem like the feminist type, I'll even let you pick me up. It would be my honor." Theo butts in, a cheeky smile peeking through as he looks at her with a smolder that makes most women go weak in the knees.

"And why the hell would I agree to that?" Malia taunts, fixing him with a steely glare.

"Because you're hot. And I'm hot. I could show you a good time." Theo says simply, leaning into her with confidence coming off of him in waves. The double meaning was not lost on Malia.

"Hmmm, I guess I must have missed the memo where being male and a dick makes you worthy of my time. Attractiveness is subjective, so maybe you shouldn't assume that everyone wants to jump your bones." Malia finishes nonchalantly before getting up to leave.

Theo jumps up and grabs her by the wrist, stopping her from walking out. She pulls away instantly as if he had burnt her. She's so close, he can feel her breath on his face. He stares down at her lips and then back up at her face, catching her looking at his as well. The moment is broken when she takes a step back and turns on her heel and walks out the door.

Stiles is out of his seat and up in Theo's face within seconds.

"Dude, what the hell was that? Malia isn't just some girl for you to use up and throw away when you're done, okay? She's my friend and has been through a lot. And I'm not going to let her just become one of your conquests. I'm serious Theo, back off." Stiles fumes, his eyes darkening dangerously to a shade that is so uncharacteristic of him. With one last warning glare, he rushes out after Malia.


	3. Elegy to the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspiration: 'We Move Lightly' and '11 Opus 37' by Dustin O'Halloran

Malia POV: After storming out of the cafeteria, I immediately regret it. I let Theo have the satisfaction of seeing me crumble beneath his fingers just as he wanted me to. With a frustrated sigh, I stumble into the girl's restroom to blow off some steam.

He just makes me so confused and irritated. Why do guys have to be such entitled assholes just because they're pretty? Even if they do have great hair and a perfect body... Fuck. I am so not going to finish that thought.

He looked at me like I was a piece of land to be conquered with that annoyingly handsome smile and stormy eyes. But you know what? I refuse to give into his charms and be just another girl to him. In all honesty, I could possibly relate to his attitude towards commitment if it weren't for the fact that he manipulates and twists others feelings to suit his needs. It hurts like a bitch to be fed lies from a sinful tongue and then have the truth catapulted in your face just when you start to feel safe and secure.

Believe me, I've never been one to build lasting relationships besides Stiles. He's one of the only constants in my life and one of the few people who keep me grounded to the social norms of the world around me. Every other boy I've ever met has wanted to tame me or tie me town to reality, but I'd much rather live in a dream. I fantasize of the melodious rumble of a train that leads down sepia roads to an unknown destination. I want to feel the air combing through my hair and my arms outstretched, welcoming it's embrace like a familiar lover. I remember my recent travels to the desert, feeling the Arizona heat against my skin burning hot and vibrant. I guess my nomadic kind of lifestyle stems from my parents. Man, they were such hippies back in the day. Dad once told me that my first concert wasn't the Temper Trap as I had thought, but was actually The Cranberries. Apparently my mom had been glowing and pregnant with her swollen belly, sporting a pair of headphones around her midsection so I could listen along as well. I wish I could have seen her face in that moment. I miss her so much.

I never feel lonely when I'm alone, and that's what no one can ever seem to wrap their head around. I feel like I don't relate to other people in the way that I should. That's why I like taking pictures. I'm able to peek into a private moment with someone else where they are genuine with their smiles and unreserved in their laughter. Behind the camera is where I feel like I truly meet someone for the first time. The key is to find their eyes, because they can never lie.

I guess the true reason I don't do boyfriends is because I don't like having to meet someone's expectations of me. Everyone likes the idea of the sunshine girl with a secret, a girl who is dauntless in her honesty and gallant in her thirst for life and adventure. But too many guys have tried to make a home in me, hoping that I can fill some void inside them. But I can't be that girl, I can't save anyone. In the words of Clementine Kruczynski, "too many guys think that I'm a concept or I complete them or I'm going to make them alive, but I'm just a fucked up girl who is looking for my own peace of mind." I can't be responsible for someone else's too.

I leave the bathroom just as the bell rings. An ambush of students spill into the hallway making me feel slightly claustrophobic. And of course I run smack into Theo.

"What do you want? Gonna throw another pick up line at me, Raeken?" I sneer.

"Not a chance, Princess. There's only so much bruising my ego can take. Besides, I'll see you at the party later. You are going, right?" He inquires, invading my personal space.

"What's it to you? And stop calling me that, I'm not your princess." I challenge.

"Maybe I just want to get to know you a little better, Malia. Is that such a crime?" He smiles innocently.

Like hell I believe that.

"How about we just agree to avoid each other and pretend like the other doesn't exist?"

"I don't know, that may be hard. A girl like you is hard not to look at. And I truly mean that, Malia. You're beautiful, like that isn't obvious already. Look I'm sorry for earlier, can we call a truce? We got off on the wrong foot, I'm over it already." He asks sweetly, even though I can see the promise of danger in his eyes.

"If it ends this conversation, then fine. Whatever." I reluctantly resign.

"I'll get you to like me, Malia Tate, just you wait." Theo smirks knowingly, turning to leave.

"Go to Hell." I mutter.

"I'm already there, Baby." His chuckle echos down the hallway.

 

Third Person POV: Theo makes it home in record time. Deucalion is sitting on the couch, watching reruns of Game of Thrones. With a cold slice of pizza in hand, he plops down next to his dad and asks him how his day was. They sit together for another hour or so discussing how work is going and school, normal things. Theo gets up to get ready for the party. He stops in his tracks and turns back around.

"Hey dad, do you think it's possible to change someone's opinion of you even if the first impression was bad?"

Deucalion stays silent for a moment and then looks up at his son with the same intense, grey eyes that mirror his own.

"Depends, I suppose. Who is the girl?"

Theo is taken off guard. How did he automatically know it had anything to do with a girl?

"I don't know what you mean. There's no girl, I was just curious." He lies easily.

"Son, I know you better than anyone. You've never felt the need to change someone's opinion of you because you aren't one to dwell over what other people think. I may be getting older, but I'm not blind. If you don't want to tell me that's fine. You know I don't pry, but if this girl is truly something special to you, don't let her slip through your fingers. You don't want to look back a decade or so from now trapped in a loveless marriage, living life on a repetitive loop and thinking about the girl that could have changed your world." Deucalion spoke with wisdom far greater than Theo could ever hope to understand. He immediately thought of his mother, wondering how she could let a man like his father go.

"Thanks dad."

Theo ran up the stairs to start getting ready.

 

The girls arrive at the beach house where the party is taking place fashionably late and the atmosphere is thriving. Some people are outside around the fire, others playing in the water, and the rest scattered around the house.

Malia immediately guns to the alcohol table and pours herself some lime vodka. She mingles for a while and loses Lydia and Allison in the process. She decides to lie out on the beach away from the party with her favorite camera. Basking in the faint pinks and purples of the sky, Malia breathes in a sigh of relief that she's finally alone. She takes this time to take pictures of the other party goers. This is when she is in her element, snapping shots of the drunken ecstasy that lights up the faces of the teenagers littering the sand.

She feels him before he shows himself, but she knows he's there.

None other than Theo Raeken sits down next to her in the sand, smelling deliciously of peppermint and cigarettes.

"Oh, it's you."

 

Theo POV: My dad had warned me about alcohol and drugs growing up. Ya know, cocaine, heroine, marijuana, jack, vodka, and malibu... But never about girls with brown eyes and pretty, pink lips too.

Malia Tate was an effortless beauty, simple as that. There's the kind of beautiful where you have to try too hard, then there's the kind that just comes naturally. It's in the way she walks, that smile that is quite literally the sun, and the certain glisten in her eyes.

She had all of that, and didn't even have to try.

She sat not too far from the shore, her hair in messy waves and tanned legs stretching in the sand. Man, I can just imagine those long, lean legs wrapped around my waist...

I was shaken from my musing when she senses my presence.

"Oh, it's you." She says nonchalantly, fiddling with the buttons on her camera. She is completely oblivious to the fact that I was outright staring at her. It's as if she doesn't even realize how gorgeous she is.

"Mind if I take a seat?" I ask with some hesitance. I don't want to push her too far if I'm going to get her to open up to me.

"Well I have a feeling you're going to anyways, so I might as well not fight you on it." She replies with with fake seriousness, but her eyes give her away. They're playful and animated.

All of a sudden, a flash goes off, blinding me temporarily.

"What the..."

"Sorry, you had this look on your face, I can't really explain it. I just had to capture it." Malia is vague in her explanation and leaves me wondering.

"Oh, so you wanted to have a picture of me, Kitten? That's adorable." I tease her lightly, amusement evident in my tone. If I'm being honest, a little part of me was happy that she was taking a piece of me home with her.

"You wish, Raeken. Like I said before, you're not hot shit. No need to flatter yourself." She says and tries to cover her smile with a cough.

We sit together for a little while, talking about everything and nothing within the span of hours. Malia lets out a drunken giggle at the bewildered expression on my face when she tells me that she had met John Mayer at a coffee shop in Portland. I love his music, practically worship the guy. The brutal honesty in his lyrics resonates within me on a spiritual level. I have seen him a few times in concert, but never had the chance to meet him. What I wouldn't give to have a conversation with him.

Malia snorted cutely, which in turn brought a smile to my face. She's such a cool girl.

"You know what was the best advice John gave me about life in general?" She whispers conspiratorially.

"What?" I ask eagerly. We had moved closer to each other over the time, our hands were almost touching. Our thighs grazed the others and her breath mingled with mine at our close proximity.

"He said to me, 'Just be fucking honest about how you feel about people while you're alive', and it just stuck. It's so eloquently put. Why do we waste our time sugar-coating what we think to people that we don't even care about. Or even worse, to people that we do care about. We have an unforeseeable amount of time left on this earth, why is everyone so afraid to say what they want and be who they are?" She murmurs softly, looking out at the ocean. Then she turns her attention on me.

"Theo... Why do you pretend to be an asshole? I mean I won't lie, you have your moments, but it's obvious that most of this persona you give off is just a front. Who hurt you?" Malia asks bluntly.

I'm immediately on the defense.

"You know nothing, Malia." I bite out, insecurity leaking into my voice. I feel my hands clench around the sand and my jaw flexing irritably. She hit it right on the nail and she's known me for what? Twenty-four hours? When not a single person in the world cared enough to ever ask me before.

She looks at me for a long time and doesn't say anything.

A few minutes go by and we sit in silence, neither one of us sure of what to say.

"I'm sorry." Her voice breaks the unnerving quiet that I had caused.

"What?" I asked confused. What could she possibly be sorry for?

"I don't know what happened to you, or what made you turn so cold. But I'm sorry, anyways. However, I do know quite a few things about having a past and how easy it is to let it define you. I just feel like you should know that shit happens, and it's okay to shut everyone out for a little while. We're human and that means that we feel everything so deeply. You may feel like you need to act like the tough guy in front of everyone else, but you don't have to hide from me." She states simply.

And in that moment, I had never realized just how much I had been dying for someone to see through every splinter and crack that I work everyday to cover. No one had every told me that I didn't have to be that person and try so hard to not give in to the worst parts of myself. That I didn't need to be perfect and that I am enough. Everything is okay.

And then she came along.

The sky is painted an inky blue as the tide starts rolling in and it begins to rain. Water droplets pelt us in an endless assault. The serious moment is over. Malia gasps in surprise as it starts pouring. I shrug off my leather jacket and put it around her shoulders. When she's caught off guard, I grab her around the waist and heave her over my shoulder. She laughs loudly, telling me to put her down. She hits my shoulder playfully as I run across the beach with her in my arms. In true Theo fashion, I retaliate by swatting her on the ass.

"Hey buddy, watch the hands!" She shouts over the sounds of the storm.

"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you, sorry." I laugh freely and put her down on her feet under the safety of the porch leading up to the house.

"Malia! There you are, we've been looking all over for you." Stiles appears suddenly with Scott on his tail.

"Hey Stiles" She says and pulls the other boy in for a hug and then does the same with Scott.

"What are you doing with Theo?" He asks accusingly.

"I was just keeping her company." Theo smiles smugly, loving to push Stiles' buttons.

"I wasn't talking to you." He answers back hotly, turning to Malia expectantly for an answer.

"We were just talking, Stiles. What's the matter with you?" Malia questions, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing. Can you just call me later so I know you got home safely?" He asks gently.

"Yeah of course... I'm going to go find Lydia and Allison. I'll see you later, Theo." She turns back to Stiles, "And I promise I will call you when I get home." She assures him and presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Bye guys" Malia rushes inside to locate her friends.

Theo grits his teeth at the affection they share openly.

"Raeken, I told you to leave Malia alone. What the hell are you up to?" Stiles spits out, once again up in Theo's face.

"Stiles, calm down. Malia told you they were just talking." Scott tries to diffuse the situation.

"No Scott, I'm not going to calm down. He's playing games with her. He's just going to seduce her and then leave her, because that's what he does. We may be friends, but Malia is more important. I won't let him hurt her."

"Maybe you should be worried less about my love life and focus more on yourself, Stiles." I state confidently to his face, watching his heat up in anger.

"Go near Malia again and I will blind you."

"Is that a threat?" I question darkly.

"Oh no, that's a promise."

And he meant it. When the words left his lips, Stiles turned and got in his jeep and drove away.


	4. Love Her Madly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspiration: 'Ghosts' By Banners

Theo dreams of soft skin and honey-due eyes. A guttural groan leaves his throat while imagining those plump, pink lips kissing all over his body and leaving hickeys on his neck. He clenches up, feeling a tingling sensation at the tip of his toes until his whole body is engulfed in delicious flames that make him ache to reach out and touch her. But every time he tries, she eludes his grasp with a teasing smile and heated gaze. He opens his eyes and thinks he must be hallucinating.

There she is. Malia.

Her head is thrown back in ecstasy while her dark curls lay wild and messy, sticking to her forehead and the back of her neck from sweat. He tastes every inch of her skin, sweet and slippery, and he swears she bleeds liquid gold. Her fragrant smell invades his senses and suddenly he's trapped in her typhoon: Vanilla, Cinnamon, rain, and sex.

"How bad do you want me, Theo?" The Malia-esqe vision in front of him tempts with airy breath as she trembles in between his sheets with a sultry sigh. She moves with painful slowness, her silhouette warm and gentle as she brings him to his knees. She pulls on his hair and leaves scratch marks up and down his back. She may have bambi eyes, but she loves it rough which Theo enjoys immensely.

"Oh god, Princess, I-" He moans as he closes his eyes, drunk off the way she says his name.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you." She demands with a pointed dominance that turns Theo on so much he reaches his breaking point. His dam of pleasure breaks and pure euphoria coaxes his body through his high as he rides it out. She comes with him as the first rays of sun peak over the sky and leak through the window. She moves in unmeasured beats in the glow of the morning: vast and untamed like a woman scorned while dirty words tumble from her pretty lips. Her rose-tinted cheeks pull back into a lazy smile as she comes back down to earth. Being with Malia was electric and consuming, a beautiful destruction in the making.

Theo collapses on his bed, hard and aching, a combination that is both rare and intrigues him more than anything. And there she is, a quivering mess in his silk sheets, a diamond in the rut. Theo never truly appreciated art until now, because seeing Malia Tate naked and glistening in sweat has to be the most gorgeous fucking thing he's ever seen in his life. She's a masterpiece. He could walk into a room full of beautiful oil paintings or intricate sculptures, but he'd still be looking at her.

She crawls over to him with languid movements like a dancer in heat. Her body melts into his and Theo sighs in contentment. He doesn't think he's ever felt so at peace then how he does in that moment. He runs his fingers through her hair and kisses the top of her head, memorizing every curve of her hip and line of her body.

"Malia, I-"

"Who?"

Suddenly his vision morphs from the dark beauty laying on his chest to a voluptuous red head looking up at him with hooded eyes.

"Did you just call me Malia? Who the fuck is that, Theo? My name is Natalie!" She screams in his face, pitching a fit with overly pouty lips and a nasally shriek that instantly gives him a headache.

"Wait you mean it... wasn't real. Fuck. Of course it wasn't."

Theo takes his face in his hands when he stupidly comes to the realization that he had been thinking of Malia the whole time he had been fucking another girl. He knew it was a dick move, but he isn't worried about that right now. He's still stuck on the fact that Malia came to him in his dreams. It both excites and terrifies him. Theo has never dreamed about a girl before, especially in such an intimate way. Sure he's had wet dreams about celebrity crushes like Emmy Rossum and other famous models and actresses, but never of a real life girl. And never in so much vivid detail. It had all been so real.

Theo is brought out of his thoughts by Natalie trying to get his attention and yelling about what an asshole he is. Good thing his father had already left for work that morning, otherwise he'd have a lot of explaining to do. Thinking back on his night, he remembers picking up Natalie yesterday at the party after Malia had left. He had been about to follow her lead after his confrontation with Stiles until the busty read head had caught him in her line of sight. All it had taken was some pretty words and a fake smile here and there and they were on their way back to his place. He had been trying to erase the mushy feeling Malia had left deep in his bones.

Theo tried to ignore the girls' wailing and got up to stretch his muscles. However, she wasn't letting him get off that easy.

"So who's this bitch? Fresh meat, huh? Well she'll never be as good as me. You'll come crawling back and when you do I'll tell you to fuck off."

When she doesn't get a response from Theo she becomes desperate and begins to cling to him and tries to get him to look at her. She puts her hands on either side of his face and turns him to face her. Theo looked down at her tear-stained face and felt nothing. Sure, she was beautiful. All the girls Theo had sex with were hot, but she didn't hold a candle to her. Malia is striking, so much so that her beauty hits you like a freight train and leaves you seeking that thrill again and again even if it kills you. She's authentic and an effortless beauty. And Natalie simply paled in comparison.

"I made you feel so good, didn't I?" She whispers with tears coming down her face, looking into Theo's eyes in an effort to make him feel something. Anything.

Theo grips her wrists between his hands and fixes her with a steel glare.

"You did nothing, don't you get that? You may have physically got me off, but a different girls' face lit my soul on fire and made me hot and wanting more. You had help from my imagination, so don't give yourself too much credit. You're nothing to me."

Theo's voice is void of emotion and dripping in venom as he chuckles darkly, having every intention of hurting the girl's feelings. He is shaking with rage and burning with anger at the very thought of this girl thinking she meant anything to him. Every girl who left him unsatisfied made him grow resentful of women in general. Every failed attempt at finding something real instantly made him conjure up images of his deadbeat mother. She left him unloved and vulnerable at a young age of eight years old wondering why in the world he wasn't good enough for her to stay. His whole life all he's ever wanted was to feel something. As demented as it sounds, he looks for gratification through his sexual encounters to fill the void in his heart that his mother put there when she disposed of him like he was trash.

"You can leave now." He breathes out as he begins to calm down and the irrational anger dissipates as the seconds go by.

With a look of utter devastation, Natalie breaks before him and gently removes her hands from his face. She crumbles with each step she takes as she picks up her clothes and walks out the door.

 

Malia sits down at her desk and waits for class to start. The minutes tick by and she realizes that the spot behind hers is mysteriously vacant. Just as the teacher is about to lock up Theo storms through the door like lightening strikes the sky, dangerous and merciless in the way his boots shake the tile floor.

His movements falter slightly right as he is about to pass her seat. He looks tired with dark circles under his eyes and rugged as ever with stubble accenting his angular jaw. He runs his hand over his face in agitation and then continues to his seat. His spicy aftershave assaults her nose and the distinct scent of leather from his jacket makes Malia squeeze her legs tighter together to ease some of the tension. He looks ever of the stereotypical bad boy with the Devil's twinkle in his eye and a thirst for corruption. And Malia has a bad feeling that that corruption will be her.

She can hear him moving around behind her, ruffling through his bag for paper and a pencil. Malia tears a piece of paper from her notebook and writes a message in her lazy scrawl. She folds it up and waits for the teacher to face the board before she discreetly places the note on this desk.

Her heart is beating fast as she catches the sound of paper being unfolded and waits for a reaction.

"You okay?" It reads.

She hears a faint chuckle and then pencil against paper as he writes a reply. After a few minutes, she feels his rough fingers brush her thumb as he places the note in her hand. A thousand electric shocks ignite her fingers and her breath hitches at how warm his hands are. She shudders at the contact and hope he doesn't notice. But judging by the way he brushes his finger over her knuckle again, he does.

She waits a minute to open it so she doesn't appear too eager.

"I'm fantastic, Peaches. I've missed you though."

Malia's eyes widen at the words written and turns around to glare at him. It comes off more as an angry kitten trying to be a lioness, and he laughs at how adorable she looks.

"What did I say about nicknames?" She whispers-yells at the amusement on his face.

He leans over his desk and his breath is fanning her face with peppermint.

"You never said anything about nicknames, just that I can't call you Princess." He smiles smug and arrogant, but yet she somehow she finds it weirdly cute and charming.

She quirks her brow and rolls her eyes, turning back to face the front. She doesn't miss the glare Tracy sends her way and she smiles and waves back which only pisses her off more. With a huff, Tracy turns away from them and angrily writes in her notebook.

"Mr. Raekan, instead of making pathetic heart eyes at a girl way out of your league, how about you pay attention to what I'm teaching." Mr. Andrews voices cuts through the air as he directs his statement to Theo.

Theo tries not to blush, but still appears flush from the anger that's beginning to rise.

"I was paying attention, Andrews. The answer is Pablo Picasso." He smirks, trying to mask his annoyance with indifference.

"You know Theo, you don't have to put a show on for everyone. Maybe if you were actually as smart as you try to make yourself seem and quit trying to impress everyone, you would know that the answer is actually Michaelangelo."

Theo bit back the curse that was threatening to slip from his tongue. The teacher is such a fucking idiot, his answer was right. He had just read about it yesterday. Just as Theo is about to make an ass out of himself and prove his teacher right, Malia speaks up.

"Actually sir, it is Pablo Picasso. It says so on page 167."

Mr. Andrews grows embarrassed as he begins to realize that she is right, but is too proud to admit he could be wrong.

"Someone look it up! Come on people, we don't have all day."

A random kid in the back corner speaks up.

"It looks like it is... Pablo Picasso. I guess Theo was right."

Mr. Andrews turns red in the face and turns back to Theo who has a triumphant smile on his face.

"Let's get back on subject!" He says as he aggressively turns back to the board.

Theo can still feel his blood coursing hot and thick through his veins. The anger from this morning on top of this leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. As if Malia can sense his distress, she grabs his hand from underneath the desk and intertwines their fingers, making small circles on the palm of his hand.

Theo instantly relaxes as his heart rate goes down to a melodious pounding in his ears. And in that moment, Theo realizes that you can meet thousands of people in your life time and none of them will really touch you, but then you will meet that one person who becomes a constant lull in your head where their name takes shelter in your skin and makes a home in your heart. And Theo has always craved for a heartbeat that speaks the same language as his.

Even when the bell rings, she doesn't let go. Her whiskey eyes stun him with their fierceness, laying him bare for her to see every horrible thing he's ever done. And she smiles at him, a sliver of the radiance that makes up her face. Malia has more goodness in her pinky finger than he has in his whole body, and yet she sees him for who he is and isn't afraid. And in doing that, her eyes touched him more than those thousands of people's hands ever could.


	5. I Think I Might've Inhaled You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspiration: 'Bloodstream' By Stateless

Tracy sat idly by in the corner of the room away from prying eyes as Theo and Malia walk out of class after the other. His eyes follow her attentively and avidly, contemplative and caring. His steps are different than his usual, lazy swagger. He's quicker and agile on his feet as he rushes to keep up with her like a moth to a flame. His mouth is no longer muted in a tight line and the tension in his brows is nonexistent. Instead he sports a wicked curl of his lip, a devilish grin that is quite literally the epitome of sin. His teeth catch his bottom lip in a cheeky manner when Malia brushes off his leering eyes with a eye roll and smirk of her own.

Malia Malia Malia Malia Malia

"What is so damn special about this girl anyways?"Tracy wonders, simmering in her jealousy as the two leave the classroom.

Theo doesn't do girl friends and he most definitely doesn't chase anyone. So what is his angle? He can't possibly be falling in love with her, could he? He just wants her for sex and that's it. He would never associate with a girl like her. Doesn't he know she and her father are taboo in this town ever since they left and came back? They're the stain that mars Beacon Hills and it should stay that way.

If only he knew the reason Malia left in the first place...

Word travels fast and Tracy had learned soon enough the supposed mystery behind the elusive Malia Tate.

And what an enigma she turned out to be.

"I bet Theo wouldn't like you so much if he knew your dirty little secret, huh? He thinks you're his majestic pixie dream girl, but we both know that isn't the case. Well Malia Tate, game on."

 

Theo trails behind Malia, casually admiring her gorgeous ass that fits snugly into her cutoff jeans.

"Stop staring at my ass, Raekan." Malia reprimands without even turning around.

Theo chuckles and continues to stare, noticing the natural sway of her hips that trail down to her long, toned legs. She leans against her locker to switch out her Art book for a Physics one and continues to ignore him.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She asks in a 'no nonsense' tone, finally breaking the silence and turning to face him pointedly.

"Because you're gorgeous, Doll." He says simply with a charming smile.

"Don't call me that, Wolf Man." She pouts adorably, jutting her lips out like an angry kitten.

"Wolf Man?" Theo asks confused, curious to how that nickname came about.

"Yeah, your tattoo. I noticed it that day on the beach. It's pretty cool, actually. It fits that whole tortured soul thing you've got going on." She laughs, looking him over appreciatively.

"Oh, and what does that entail, Princess?" Theo whispers, leaning in so close that Malia can smell his spicy cologne complimenting his neck. She finds herself moving closer before she catches herself and pulls away abruptly.

"Ya know, tall, dark, and handsome. Has a tough past, anger issues, and probably spends way too much time in the mirror fixing his perfectly coiffed hair. Oh, and possibly has a kinky fetish involving sticking the girl's underwear he just fucked in his back pocket." Malia fake ponders, enjoying the shock from her crass language written all over Theo's face.

"Damn, Malia, you really thought this through, huh? I didn't know you give me the time of day to circle around in your thoughts, but I'll take it. And you think I'm handsome? This day just keeps getting better and better." Theo beams, loving where this conversation is going.

"That's really all you got out of that?" Malia deflects, trying to control the burning pink of her cheeks.

"Well I mean I wasn't going to bring up the panty fetish, but if you're into that..."

"Bye Theo." Malia ends the conversation by shutting her locker and making a beeline for her class down the opposite hallway.

"Malia, wait." Theo calls, running after her and dodging unsuspecting freshmen until he reaches out and grabs her hand. He spins her around to face him and pulls her close.

"Why'd you do that... You know, in class? Why did you comfort me?" He asks slowly, feeling vulnerable under her gaze.

"Because you needed someone, Theo." She says like it should be obvious. He loves the way she caresses his name in the way only she can, easing his mind with the weight of her words. He wanted to hear her say it again and again and again.

"I have to get to class..." She says after of minute of Theo just staring at their hands that somehow seem to fit together perfectly.

Before he can get a word out, Malia shrugs his hands away and is half way down the hall.

And of course she can feel Theo's grey eyes devouring her whole, like a storm on the roll.

 

The bell rings and Malia can't wait to get home and hurries out the school doors. Her scuffed, brown doc martens crunch against the gravel as she finally stands before her baby. The '96 Impala is rustic and gorgeous in it's onyx and silver coating. The rims gleam brightly and the engine purrs to life underneath her fingertips. The fine leather squeaks when she sits and Malia lays her head back against the headrest.

She replays her conversation with Theo in her head and sighs with a huff and runs her fingers through her hair in frustration.

Malia knows what kind of guy Theo is. She needs to avoid him because she has a dangerous suspicion that if given the right circumstance, she could fall in love with him. And she refuses to let that happen. Theo is charming, seductive, charismatic, and surprisingly introspective. He has this electric quality about him that pulls you in and drowns you all the same. It's a crazy thing when just a single person can literally consume you. He sees people for who they are and he isn't afraid to call them out on it. He has sarcasm and wit and this annoying tendency to make Malia laugh. And giving a guy like that the power to break her heart is like pointing a loaded gun at herself and trusting him not to pull the trigger.

Malia Tate does not let people get close to her anymore.

Not after everything that's happened.

She is broken out of her thoughts by Stiles knocking on the window, making her jump in surprise. She rolls it down and sticks her head out.

"Stiles, you scared the fuck out of me, you moron." She glares, hitting him upside the head.

"Ouch, Malia! It's not my fault you were off in a daze. I was just being a great friend and wondering what you're doing later. I miss you, can we hang out?" He asks sweetly, puckering his lips and puts his hands together in a praying position.

"Are you making your special brownies?" She asks suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows in amusement.

Stiles leans into the window and makes a show of looking around to make sure no one else is listening.

"You mean my super special pot brownies?" He whispers conspiratorially.

"The very ones." She whispers back, but can't keep a straight face. She erupts in giggles, her smile infectious.

"Wow, Tate. Now I see why you hang out with me. You just like me for my superb cooking skills."

"But..." She goads, waiting for his answer.

"But... I suppose that could be arranged." Stiles states, his boyish smile lighting up his face.

"Alright cool, I'll be over around 6:00, okay?" Malia states, checking her watch for the time. She figures that will give her enough time to go through her photographs, clean her lenses, get some homework done and eat dinner with her dad.

"Yeah sounds good, I'll order pizza. And I'll even add pineapple on top because I know it's your favorite." Stiles smirks, as he starts walking backwards towards his jeep.

"Well aren't you just a peach." Malia winks back, revving the engine. With one final wave she takes off down the road. Looking through the rear view mirror, her eyes meet Theo's burning gaze and she begins to wonder if he had been there the whole time. When he keeps looking at her, she pulls down her black Ray bans and flips him the bird on her way out of the parking lot. She looks back one more time and he doesn't even try to hide his guffaw that attracts attention from bystanders.

Ugh, what an asshole.

 

Theo watches as Malia drives off and can't seem to crack the mystery of this firecracker of a woman. She's so unlike any girl he's ever met in his town, heck, in his life. And something about that just astounds him, makes him feel stupid and insane all at once. How does this girl come here and twist his arm and in some way, make him care about trivial things like what shampoo she uses, does she prefer waffles or pancakes, or if she's a horror movie type girl?

Malia is blunt and opaque and unravels his mind like it's the easiest thing in the world. And she's light and fun and brutally honest. She has a breathtaking smile and is so shameless in her outlook of people and the world. She spends her days hiding behind a camera and Theo doesn't understand how she is the painter of chaos and magnetism and also the muse of his thoughts.

The thought of all the different things she's capable of making him feel terrifies Theo because he might have finally met his match. And boy, she is a walking devastation.

Tracy creeps upon Theo, making him jump when she lays her hand on his forearm. She watches him still staring at the space Malia's car used to be and she groans in irritation.

"You're making a mistake with that one." She says calmly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Excuse me?" Theo blurts out, turning to face Tracy.

"Malia. She isn't who you think she is." She explains shortly, with her vague response.

"And what's that suppose to mean? Also, I don't know what Malia and I has to do with you." Theo breathes out hotly, not liking her poking around in his business.

"I'm just trying to look out for you, Theo. I've always been here for you, don't you see that? You look at her like she's the only girl you've ever seen and you've known her for a few days. How do you not notice that I've been here this whole time? I understand you, Theo, not her!" Tracy whines, her big brown eyes sparkling with tears.

"Tracy, you need to leave. I don't know where all this is coming from, but there's nothing between you and I. It's not going to happen, okay? So butt out of my personal life and leave me alone." Theo speaks with a hard edge in his voice before he stalks off to his motorcycle.


	6. She Smelled of Sweet Perfume

Theo couldn't stop the itch that tickled the back of his neck. He'd been stuck with the feeling ever since his encounter with Tracy. She said that there were things about Malia that he didn't know. But of course there is, he's only known her for a couple days. And who doesn't have skeletons hiding in their closet? He for sure has plenty of them, dusty corners filled with sticky cobwebs and clutter that take up space in his head. Malia gave him a chance, so why shouldn't he give her the same courtesy that she showed him?

Theo repeats the words in his head over and over and he almost believes them, but the small part of him that lingered with distrust and dishonesty burned with curiosity. He sits on his bed and tries to get some studying done. His foot taps against the floor, his fingers twitch around his pencil, and his dark eyes shift back and forth between his text book and the laptop that sits on his desk just staring at him. His jaw clenches and then relaxes and the tapping becomes louder and more distracting. He runs his fingers through his tousled, brown hair and pulls on it in frustration.

"Shit." He mumbles, looking around as if to see if anyone else was watching him and then realizes how ridiculous he looks. "I mean, It couldn't hurt to just investigate a little, right? Everyone does that these days, it's called social media for a reason." He convinces himself, hesitantly putting aside his school work and taking tentative steps towards that laptop. He fumbles around and starts it up, chewing on his bottom lip in exasperation.

What's his deal? For all he knows, Tracy could be lying about the whole thing. She'd always been weirdly possessive of him, it tended to creep him out sometimes. The home screen pops up and he finds his way to Google Search.

'M-a-l-i-a T-a-t-e" Search.

A flood of images erupt across the screen, most of it irrelevant and showcasing people from different parts of the state or on the other side of the country. He narrows his search, tacking on 'Beacon Hills' at the end. He presses the search button again and falls back into his seat at what he uncovers.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, MALIA TATE, INVOLVED IN A DRUG DEALING GONE WRONG? TWO OFFICERS WEIGH IN: COULD SHE BE COVERING FOR HER FATHER?

"Oh my fuck-"

The door opens. "Theo, what you up to, bud?" His father Duke asks, moving a little past the door frame, but not coming in all the way. He respects his son's privacy.

Theo slams the computer shut. "Uh, nothing much, dad. Just doing some research for a school project, how was work?" He squeaks out, silently cursing himself for sounding so guilty. His dad could always tell when he was lying which only meant that he had to get even better at it.

His father's brows furrow. "Are you okay, son? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Theo's stormy grey eyes darken slightly. "Yeah I'm fine, my mind's just a little scattered right now." He rubs his eyes and yawns. "I'm just tired, I think I'm going to take a nap."

Deucalion nods his approval and turns to leave. Theo stops him before he makes it out the door, coughing to ease the awkwardness. "Hey dad... What do you know about the Tate family?"

He scans his father's face and analyzes it for any discrepancies. His calculated eyes simmer and then soften to a cool grey. "Well... I haven't heard that name in a while. Why do you ask?" His dad questions thoughtfully.

"The daughter, Malia, she goes to my school. Her and her father just moved back to Beacon Hills." Theo divulges with caution leaking from his words. "I like her. She makes me think... challenges me, I guess. But I've heard whispers of her name through out the hallways. I thought it was nothing until someone brought some new information to my attention." He says admittedly.

"Well I've never met the family, personally. They left Beacon Hills before you and I moved here, but people talk. Apparently the mother died, I'm not sure how. I've heard a few different stories. Every one likes to gossip. But I hear it's just Mr. Tate and his daughter now. Something about being involved with a crime a couple years ago."

Theo gulps. "Oh, okay, but nothing too serious, right?"

"I don't know, son. I like to make my judgments of someone for myself, not from what I hear. I think they deserve the benefit of the doubt. No one truly knows what went on those years ago, it's all hear-say. Your friend Stiles should know. I heard their families were really close."

Theo thinks it over. He's right, but there's no way he'd ever just go up to Stiles and ask him. He'd probably punch him, not that he'd get very far after that. Theo could take Stilinski any day, but that would upset Malia and for some reason he didn't want to hurt her.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Thanks dad." He says before he settles back against his pillows and rolls ideas around in his head. It wasn't really his business about what went on in Malia's life before him. But he couldn't help but be curious. Malia didn't seem like a criminal, but what did he really even know about her?

He knows that she's funny with a sharp tongue. And witty with a scathing glare that could make weaker men crumble to her feet. She has freckles that splatter over her nose and a few stray ones across her cheeks. Gold undertones swim with browns and topaz in her eyes like chocolate drizzled in honey. Her nose scrunches up when she's annoyed and her hands are always warm. She had cut him down with a single look the first day he'd met her with her sharp brows arching pointedly as if nothing could startle her.

All these things he had noticed about her and he's only known her for a couple of days.

The night grows longer and his thoughts collapse on themselves over and over like a revolving tidal wave. The moon shines so bright through his window and he wonders what Malia is doing right now or if she's looking at the moon, too. He's restless and sweating, still caught up on what he had found earlier. He had decided not to read the article, deciding that it was best to hear Malia's side of the story first. He was hoping that it wasn't true, whatever it is that's contained in her past. But another part of him got excited at the possibility of it being true. Theo is a magnet for danger and finds himself drawn to pretty girls with bad intentions. Just when he thought this year wasn't going to be interesting, she drops in and becomes a mystery of her own. And he loved the thrill that shoots down his spine at the idea of unraveling every dirty and divine thing she has ever done. Because if things could be explained in smaller terms, he'd say that he sees the two of them as parallel lines. Like fire and gasoline, meant to stay on opposite ends of a spectrum. Kind of like two things that were never meant to meet, but the temptation wages war within the space between them. He thinks that maybe they have a lot in common, but maybe that's what's dangerous about it. Because if you find too much of a good thing, you crave it, rely on it, mold into it. And when he thinks about it harder, he almost finds it sad that both of their addictive personalities are never ever meant to collide. Maybe it would be better that way. When lines intersect, they inevitably part ways, drifting and sinking back into their designated paths. And that's pretty sad too if you think about it.

With him, there is no drift or lull. He's touch-starved and antsy for affection, something that has shaped a big part of who he is thanks to his deadbeat mother. He never got the kisses and hugs. He missed out on the bedtime stories and the fun car rides to the play ground. He's never had a fully functioning relationship with a woman before in his life, not even from his own mother. So how to hell is he suppose to figure out girls that he may or may not want to know more about?

It's then that Theo decides he will confront her tomorrow at school. He couldn't take the questions floating around in his head anymore.

 

The next day he spies her near her locker, staring absently into space. He moves like a man on a mission, invading her proximity and fuck, she smells like sweet perfume. She turns her head and a charming smile slants across her lips. "You know, Raeken, there's this thing called personal space, you should try it sometime." She jokes, slamming her locker closed and turning on her heel. She had arrived early so there weren't many people in the halls besides a few band nerds conversing before their practice and that one couple at every school that takes PDA to a whole new level.

Malia makes her way down the hall with her head facing forward, waiting for Theo to try out a new pick up line or maybe even turn things serious like he had the day before. She hadn't expected him to look so vulnerable. She wonders if she's ever had anybody to simply be there for him.

She hears him sigh from behind her before she feels his warm hand take hold of her elbow and he turns them down an abandoned hallway where he corners her against the lockers.  
"We need to talk." He says simply, but there's a hard edge to his tone and his eyes are unreadable.

Malia quirks an eyebrow. "Oh? And pray tell what has got you in such a sour mood. Did you run out of hair gel?" She smirks, hoping to see him crack a smile, but it never comes.

He tenses. "Tell me the truth, why did you and your father leave Beacon Hills all those years ago?" She looks down at his hand still on her elbow and he flinches away, letting her go.

She scoffs. "And what sense of entitlement do you think you have to bombard me and start prying into my life? I've never pointed fingers at you or even brought up any of the stuff I've heard about you and your family that's been circling around these halls since I came back." She pauses. "What are you after, Theo. What do you want?"

Theo knows he's being a hypocrite, but he can't stop the word vomit from coming up his throat. "I want the truth. Are you a criminal, Malia? A junkie? Is that why you were gone for so long, did you get put in rehab or heck, jail? I heard about the drugs." He admits brutally, firing off questions one after the other without giving her a chance to speak. "I already have enough chaos in my life and I don't need another hurricane wrecking havoc in it." He says, eyes unapologetic and a cool gleam making him look so cold.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I didn't ask, nor need, your attention." She growls lowly, hitting him with a hateful glare. "You don't know me... and now you never will." She says through gritted teeth as she turns to leave.

Theo tugs on her sleeve and pulls her back against the locker. Not enough to hurt or even phase her, but enough to make the heat in her eyes quite literally scald him alive. "Get- your hands- off me, Raekan. I mean it." She whispers slowly, but there was no mistaking the ice in her tone. She points a finger at him and pokes him in the chest, her eyes level with his nose. "Maybe there's something you're afraid to say or something you're afraid to do, but that's not my problem. You have your own issues and that's fine, but don't deflect that back on me. I didn't ask to be here. I didn't ask for your annoyingly broody face to try to unravel my soul and 'get to know me'. I don't owe you anything, so why don't you do us both a favor and get out of my face and wipe that stupid look off your face before I do it for you."

Through the heated exchange, they were almost nose to nose, her sienna eyes bleeding into his. Her breathing is uneven and she catches him staring down at her lips. Pink and plush, Theo tries to resist. All the fighting and yelling left him hot and aggravated. Her cheeks were flushed a dusty rose and her eyes narrow under her hooded lids.

She's still up against the locker and his body is pressed against her front. He looks at her with this curiosity, wondering what the skin of her stomach looks like when she's flushed how she is now and what it would feel like to touch her.

And in the moment, staring into her eyes and watching that hardness soften, he wants to know what she's passionate about.

Passion. That was the perfect word to describe the situation they were in.

He thinks about how many other people have probably tried to unearth any little tidbit of information they could about her. And he realizes that those who have tried have most likely failed. And he hates the fact that he still only knows as much about her as a book he has found, but may never get the chance to open.

"Malia-" He groans, feeling her hand on his chest as her nails digging into his skin through his Henley.

He doesn't think before he acts. Grabbing onto the roots of her unruly hair, he falls into her lips with aggressive fervor, his mouth sliding over hers hotly while all the anger and loneliness built up inside him bleeds into the kiss. Her lips follow suit and she kisses him back hard and fast, teeth clashing and noses bumping as he presses her body harder against the locker. Her pants and gasps get louder and louder but he muffles them with his mouth over and over again, his stubble tickling her cheeks. They finally break apart, bruised lips and liquefied eyes boring into each others.

A resounding slap echos throughout the dimly-lit hallway. Theo presses his hand to his stinging cheek, shocked and aroused by the fact that she'd actually hit him. She wipes her mouth with the back of her and furiously backs away from him.

"What the hell is the matter with you! You can't just go around kissing people, you bastard!" She half-whispers, half-yells. "You're lucky that wasn't my fist. I have a mean left hook."

Theo licks his lip at the little bit of blood that's there and smirks. "I think you're overlooking one tiny detail, Malia. You kissed me back." He grins evilly, enjoying the gaping expression on her face.

"I did not..." She grumbles, not meeting his eyes.

"You did, doll. And you were glorious." He boasts, enjoying the little stubborn frown on her face.

"Fuck off, Theo." She spats, turning on her heel to leave.

"I like them a little explosive, it keeps things interesting." He teases, trying to goad her into another fight.

Her somber eyes stop any more teasing from leaving his mouth. "Stay away from me, Theo." She pleads, her gaze falling to the ground before coming back up to his face. "You said you don't like havoc, and I'm trouble. But you're trouble too, and that's just not what I'm looking for right now. I don't need another disappointment in my life." She says with a stoic disposition, leaving it at that.

"Malia wait, I'm sorry." He says, quickening his steps to meet her.

She puts her hand up to halt him. "Don't follow me, Theo. I'm not what you're looking for. I won't be able to make you feel whole, if that's what you're searching for. That day at the beach when I asked you who hurt you, I really felt for you. And when I said I was sorry, I meant it. But whatever it is that you think you're going to find in me, it's not there. I'm just a girl who is trying to get out of this labyrinth, graduate high school, and drive away from this hellhole town without looking back."

Theo looks on knowingly, "You mean that labyrinth that makes you feel like you're drowning constantly? That no matter which way you turn, you'll always hit a dead end? I've been there, I know what that's like. I shouldn't have confronted you like that, it wasn't right." The words feel weird coming out of his mouth. He never apologizes.

She nods. "Yeah, you shouldn't have."

He continues. "And I don't want you to make excuses for me, not that I'd think you would." He chuckles. "I want to be held accountable for my actions, especially the inexplicable, stupid, terrible ones." He steps closer. "And I have this inkling that you want the same thing."

She sighs tiredly. "What are you trying to say, Theo?"

Theo holds in his breath and lets it out slowly, preparing himself to reveal a part of his past to an almost stranger that none of his friends even know about. "When I was eight, my mom left me. No hug, no kiss, not even a fuck you, kid." His voices falters and trembles at the end. "I loved her more than anyone and all I ever wanted was for her to love me, too."

Malias grumbles quiet and she looks on with empathy.

"And I think the day she walked out on us, part of myself left with her." He says. "And I hate her for it. The thought of her makes me want to pick up a loaded gun and just end it all, sometimes, you know?" He says faintly, his voice growing small. "Why didn't she love me, Malia, why wasn't I enough for her to stay?" He says, tears building in his eyes. His throat shakes and he feels his chest giving up, the bottled up emotions that he's felt for so long finally overdue to free fall out of him.

Malia rushes over to him and pulls him into her arms, running her nimble fingers though his hair as she cradles his head on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Theo." She says, not really sure what else there is to say. Nothing could comfort someone that had been dying to let those feelings go. His hands are shaking so hard and she squeezes them between hers as she runs her thumb over his calloused hands. He'd been so desperate for human contact, it left him paralyzed when she reached up on her tip toes where her lips met his ear.

"I'm sorry that she hurt you." She says, moving her hand up and down his neck and back into his hair. "You were just a kid, you didn't do anything wrong."

"She broke my heart. She killed me." He says thickly, tears trailing down his cheeks and onto her shirt.

"You have to let yourself grieve. It's going to swallow you and you've got to let it. But you know what happens when you let yourself feel again?" She propositions, lifting his chin to meet her gaze.

"What?"

"You get better."


	7. The Rise and Fall

Once Theo's shaking seems to lessen, Malia is careful to detangle herself from his embrace. Leaving small tentative strokes on the back of his hand with her fingers, they pull apart as she creates distance between them. Malia watches the rise and fall of his chest, taking in the redness of his cheeks and the hesitance in his eyes.

Well now this is awkward.

Theo takes a short step forward. Malia takes another one back.

Wrapping her arms around her torso, she lets out a sigh. "This can't happen again, Theo."

His opalescent eyes shine silver and seem to fall at her statement. "You mean I'm not allowed to kiss you again or that we can't share things with each other anymore?" He mutters in frustration. He'd finally broken through a little bit, just enough to scratch the surface of her. There's so much more he wants to know. And Malia is the kind of girl that you can't just kiss once. Magic tumbles from her pretty mouth and the taste of her strawberry chapstick makes Theo want to lick his lips as he loses himself in the memory that taints them.

She shrugs her shoulders. "Both, I guess."

"You can't ignore me forever, Miss Tate. It's not possible." He says with a flirty edge to his voice, teetering on thinly-veiled desperation.

She chuckles at his antics but decides to play along and poises the question, "And why is that, Raeken?"

He shrugs his shoulders in the nonchalant way she had done before with a grin falling past his lips. "Because you like me too much." As if it should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"I think you overestimate my affection for you." She challenges with a scoff, but the softness in her eyes says otherwise as she fails to convey a believable glare.

Her hooks his finger underneath her chin and forces her to look at him. "Then why is your eye contact faltering?"

She roughly moves away from his touch and backs herself into a corner. "I don't have time for this, Stiles is waiting for me."

Theo lets out a long drawn out laugh. "Oh yeah, lover boy, huh? Is he the reason you're lying to yourself and to me? I mean, Stilinski, really?"

"Jealous?" She goads, knowing how much her and Stiles friendship irritates him. He didn't even need to say it, it was written all over his face. But that's all it was, friendship. But that doesn't mean it isn't fun pushing Theo's buttons.

"Not even a little bit." He lies through his teeth, fixing her with a stoic expression. "You want to know why?" He provokes, waiting for her to take the bait.

"No, not really, but I'm sure you're going to tell me anyways." She says with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Theo's face becomes serious. "Because you've never looked at Stilinski with quiet desperation behind your eyes. They never fall into his, they simply meet." He states, looking up to catch her reaction. She stands there fuming and he continues, "I've never seen your breath hitch around him, not the way you hold your breath around me... waiting, pent up tension and anticipation coursing through your veins like a shoot-up drug." He steps closer. "And those pretty, pink lips don't part say his name the way you say mine."

They're so close to the point that Malia is pretty sure she can feel the goosebumps on his skin prickling against her own. The air is so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

He grabs her hand and places it over his heart. "Tell me to stop or that you don't feel this too and I'll walk away and leave you alone for good. Say yes, and you'll own me for as long as you'll have me. Everything... All of me, it can all be yours. Trust me, I'm not a guy known for declarations or promises, but I'm saying this to you now. You and I, it's all or nothing. I've never met another girl that I would do this for." He whispers heatedly, caressing and squeezing her fingers and bringing the other hand up to cup her cheek. "But I'll dive head first into whatever this is with you. It may be fast and chaotic and messy and trouble, but you're my drug of choice. I'm picking my poison and it's you. All I'm asking for is a chance to prove that while I'll never be good enough for you, it's something that I'll work at everyday. I just want more time. To know you, and for you to know me."

Malia stares at him stupefied, her large brown eyes stunned into silence.

"You know, I, too am fluent in the art of silence." He teases, hoping to melt away some of the anxiety that fluctuates through his chest and squeezes his heart. She's still staring and he'd give anything to know what she's thinking.

"Say yes..." He whispers, curling a piece of hair behind her ear.

Her voice comes out wobbly and thickens in regret. "I can't." She murmurs, looking down at the ground, anywhere but him.

Theo's eyes harden and fall simultaneously as his hand drops from her face. Without a word, he brushes past her until all he hears is her heavy breathing behind him. He should have never let himself be vulnerable... All because of a stupid girl. He bristles at the thought and curses under his breath, knowing that he doesn't mean that. But now he has to keep his promise to stay away from her and he didn't know if he had the strength to do it. He'd never been good at telling the truth.

"Theo, wait." She calls.

He stops dead in his tracks and turns his head to where only his profile greets her in a stale hello. The shadows of the hallway thankfully mask his hopefulness. "Why?"

She lets out a breath. "You didn't let me finish." She pauses, wringing her hands together and digging her boot into the ground, wishing a hole would come and swallow her up. "I can't- I can't say yes... Until I tell you everything that happened before I left."


	8. The Story of Malia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song Inspiration: Ribs by Lorde and Alps by Novo Amor and Ed Tullett

"I'm listening."

Malia takes a deep breath, the unsettling feeling in her bones subsiding slightly.

"My mom died a year before my dad and I left Beacon Hills. She had a history of depression and one day she just couldn't take it. She snapped... And when she left us behind my dad kind of left the building, too."

Theo kindly stays silent waiting for her to continue. There's so many things he wanted to say, but somehow none of them seemed like the right one.

"Dad fell off the grid for a while, started gambling and getting into some heavy drugs. One day he went too far and lost the money he had saved up to pay rent for the house we were living in. So in order to make up the money, he started taking on some odd jobs, but the pay day was coming up and we still didn't have enough money..."

Malia sighs, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths in and out to stop her voice from shaking.

"He got in contact with some dangerous men. I tried finding work to help out but he kept insisting that he could handle it, that I was the kid and he was the father, therefore it was his job to provide for us. But I could tell the stress of the impending deadline was drowning him. He was gone almost all the time and we never saw each other. He was very vague and defensive when I asked what kept him out so late, so one night I followed him. That's when I found out he was dealing drugs."

Malia looks up at Theo. He was so hard to read, a schooled poker face taking over his features. He saw her apprehension and his grey eyes seemed to soften.

"And that's when the incident happened?" He pressed, careful not to sound too pushy.

"Yeah, that was it. Apparently he had been doing it for quite a while and I had no idea. I'm his daughter, Theo. I should have noticed." She stresses, moving tendrils of her hair out of her face. "An anonymous caller tipped off the cops and they came storming to the warehouse with their lights and sirens blaring. We're just lucky that my dad was extra careful and didn't leave any finger prints behind. He went to court and got off because of a technicality thanks to Stiles' dad. If it wasn't for that he would have gone to prison and I probably would have been charged with obstruction of justice. I was a witness and the cops knew that when they found me lurking around the perimeter of the warehouse, but I refused to testify against my dad. That's why we moved. We became a pariah in this town and couldn't go anywhere without eyes and whispers following us." She explained, looking anywhere but Theo.

Theo leaned against the locker, thinking about how traumatic that must of been for her, she couldn't have been more than maybe fifteen at the time. He took her hand, tracing the veins with the tips of his fingers.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" He propositions, staring at the slip of a girl at his feet, bound and determined to give her the best day of her life.

Malia looked up from beneath her lashes. "What?"

He chuckles at her.

She instantly reacts, "Are you laughing at me?" She grits out, an angry glare searing him.

"No no... I wasn't laughing at you." He quickly reassures her. "I'm just- I'm in the mood for some pie. There's this quiet little diner just outside of town that makes the best banana cream pie and I'm feeling generous. Lets go, Tate." He winks, pulling her along down the hallway.

Malia stops dead in her tracks, causing Theo to halt slightly.

"You have nothing to say about what I told you?" She balks, eyes widening at his nonchalance over the situation.

"I have plenty to say, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm going to pursue the shit out of you, Malia." He says, sporting a near perfect crooked grin. "Now let me treat you to some pie and a good time. It's new to me, but I'm working on this whole gentleman thing." He expresses, hoping she'll just go with it and let loose a little bit.

Malia perks up, a small smile of her own lighting up her face.

"Well isn't that just endearing as hell." She jokes, tightening her grip in his hand.

Stormy grey eyes stun her into silence, "You are endearing as hell." He beams, squeezing her hand back and moving her along towards the parking lot.

"Stiles is going to be so mad at me for ditching him." She warns, eyeing him with exaggerated caution.

Theo rolls his eyes. "I don't really care what Stiles thinks, to be honest. He's my friend but he can't tell me who I can and can't talk to. And you don't seem like the type to take orders from anyone. " He jokes, handing her a helmet before sitting down on the leather seat of his motorcycle.

"This isn't a date." She banters, narrowing her eyes playfully.

"Well then what do you call a guy taking out a girl to go get dessert?" He asks, eyebrows raised.

Her eyes widen comically as she grumbles, deciding to let it go.

Theo smirks triumphantly. She growls underneath her breath.

"You sure you know how to drive this thing, Raeken? I'm not really in the mood to die today." She mocks, looking up at him innocently with a saccharine smile.

He presses his hand to his chest, "Ha ha, very funny, Tate. Hop on and enjoy the ride. I promise it's safe."

Malia huffs before straddling the seat, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Is this okay?" She asks, squeezing hard until her front is pressed up against his back. She closes her eyes and blows out slowly, trying to calm her nerves. She's never ridden on one of these before.

His hands interlock with hers. "Easy there, Princess. Any tighter and you'll break me."

She quickly loosens her grip, blushing.

"Oh shit, sorry." She mumbles, embarrassed.

He chuckles, pulling her hands back and tucking them into the pockets of his jacket to keep them warm. "I'm just messing with you." He grins, all his stupid perfect teeth on display. He looked like the epitome of a bad boy: rugged, handsome, and donned in expensive looking leather. His breath fans her face, peppermint and nicotine making her feel flush.

She feels her skin heat up.

Get a grip, Malia, he's just a boy.

Malia holds back an eye roll when she feels him laughing at her by the way his back vibrates against her stomach. She can just picture the stupid grin on his face and for some reason it makes her bite back her own smile. Once they're all strapped in, she leans forward, resting her chin on the small of his back. He's so close that her nose grazes the back of his neck, his spicy cologne causing her to let out a sigh as she inhales him.

That's some good shit, girl. Good shit.

Her eyes flutter when she lets it envelop her senses, barely concealing a tiny moan from leaving her throat. Theo's back muscles flex deliciously beneath the black muscle t-shirt and she could be wrong, but for a moment, she swears he stops to hold his breath.

The sexual tension is palpable and explosive. Malia is positive he senses it, too.

"Am I going to regret this?" She asks half-joking, her voice phasing out with the sound of the engine coming to life.

"Probably." He replies faintly, kick-starting the gear and speeding out of the parking lot.

The familiar touch of the wind zipping through her hair solidifies Malia's decision to take off with Theo. Excitement bubbles in her chest and her heart pounds loudly against her ears. The wheels of the motorcycle pick up dust and rocks but she doesn't care. She's feeling a dead part of her soul coming alive in that moment.

Theo can hear her fascinated awes as they continue down the street and he wishes he could see her face. He's confident enough in his driving skills to take his eyes off the road for a moment just to catch a glimpse of her in this element, but he knew she would smack him upside the head if he tried it. He laughs to himself, envisioning her disgruntled expression and the fire behind her eyes as she reprimands him on the rules of the road. The thought makes him crack up even more.

She leans into his ear. "Care to let me in on the joke?" She questions nosily, hating not knowing what he is thinking. He could be taking her out of town to kill her for all she knew. There are a lot of things she doesn't know about Theo.

He makes a show of taking his hand off the handle and zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key, "It's nothing." He replies cheekily, surprised he actually got away with taking his hand off the bike.

"Keep both hands on the handlebars, dumb ass." She says, tightening her grip around his waist.

He had spoken too soon.

Theo weaves in between cars, causing some not so happy drivers to express their dislike through excessive honking and a string of profanities.

Malia laughs when Theo politely flips them off, breezing down the street until there's no one but the two of them and the fading sky erupting in lavish, multi-colors.

She yawns as exhaustion hits her quick, her arms curling tighter around Theo's waist to keep herself upright.

"Were almost there, Doll." He whispers.

About 10 minutes later they pull up to a dingy, hole-in-the-wall establishment with it's broken sign lighting up in spurts and barely standing up right. The red-brick diner was quite literally falling apart, the roof sagging low and rare pieces of trash littering the parking lot. Theo pulls into a spot and cuts the engine, pulling off his helmet and helping her off the bike.

He looks at her to take in her reaction. "I know it doesn't seem like much, but this is one of my favorite places in the world." He says, catching her palms between his rough hands and pulling her along towards the entrance. Malia quits her gawking, moving along beside him in her worn boots and wild hair falling in waves across her shoulders.

She was starting to get used to Theo's hand in hers.

The bell at the top of the door dings when they pass the threshold and Malia's boots squeak against the slippery tile floor.

A young, pretty redhead greets them, "Hi, Welcome to Pop's Pie Emporium, sit anywhere you'd like.

Theo nods, "Thank you"

The diner was pretty secluded, a lone man sitting at the bar top and an older couple sitting same-sided against the back wall with the man's arm around the frail woman's shoulders. They bend over and kiss and the man looks at the woman like she is the most precious, beautiful thing he's ever seen. The woman leans into the man and rests her head on her husband's shoulder. The simplicity of it makes Malia smile.

They take a seat by the window, both sliding into opposite sides of the booth. Soon enough, a girl about their age comes up to their table. Her face is painted in makeup, electric blue eyelids that fall under thick false lashes and cheap dollar store lipstick being the first thing Malia notices. Despite the eccentric colors, the girl is still noticeably attractive. Her bleach blonde hair is long and curly, thrown across her shoulder to expose her name tag.

Bethany

The waitress turns her attention away from Malia, her nose upturned in distaste when she takes in Malia's faded flannel shirt, disheveled hair, and scuffed boots.

She sets her sights on the boy across from her and she swears she sees the girl lick her lips.

"Oh my gosh, Theo is that you? It's me from a couple weeks ago, Bethany, remember?" She flirts, moving closer into Theo's side while bending over and exposing her cleavage that fills out the low cut shirt she's wearing.

Theo's ears turn red, barely making eye contact with her. "Oh yes... Bethany. It's nice to see you again." He murmurs lowly, keeping his eyes trained on the table.

Malia looks on with interest.

"So how do you guys know each other?" Malia inquires politely, shifting her attention back and forth between the two who obviously were chummy with the other at some point. Whatever it was, Theo apparently didn't want her to know.

Bethany doesn't even spare her a glance. "Oh Theo and I got real close not too long ago. He's the most amazing lover, and the things that he can do with his tongue..." She outright moans, slinking into the seat next to Theo.

Theo growls and grabs a hold of Bethany's wrist when she lays a manicured hand on his bicep. "Can he talk outside, please?" He grits out, anger and embarrassment evident on his face. He cared what Malia thought about him and running into an old fling of yours definitely didn't give off a great impression.

Bethany shoos off his request, dismissing his question with a wave of her hand.

"Theo, there's no need to be modest. I'm sure your friend here knows all about what you get up to, or should I say who all you get up to. You've never been shy before... Unless, this is your girlfriend." She asserts, narrowing her eyes in Malia's direction.

Malia sits stunned in her seat, not believing what she is witnessing.

"So you guys-" She starts.

"Oh yeah we slept together...multiple times." Bethany finishes for her, a bitchy smile curling against her lips. "That is until he stopped talking to me all together. Theo, baby, I'm willing to give you another chance. I get off at 7:00 if you want to come back to my place."

Malia cringes in disgust, not because she was particularly jealous, she could of guessed what type of guy Theo is. His sex life is none of her business but she was almost embarrassed by the girl who carried herself so loosely with the stench of desperation following her. Don't get her wrong, Malia loves sex and she's not afraid to talk about her past, but Bethany's excessive need to express her sexuality was new to her.

Theo turns to the blonde, a nasty sneer pointed in her direction. "Bethany, what we had was in the past. I've moved on and I'd appreciate it if you left my date and I alone."

Malia internally smirks at the furious look on Bethany's face.

She turns to Malia. "So this is the new slut you're fucking, Theo?" She shrieks, attracting the attention of the other patrons in the diner. She then laughs, leaning over the table and gesturing to Malia, "She doesn't look like much, what do you see in her anyways?"

The brunette can feel her hands clench up into a fist before she lays them flat against the table. Her fingers still twitch, the urge to punch this Bethany bitch simmering beneath her skin. She straightens out her smile, "Maybe he sees a challenge, Bethany." She grins with false sweetness, flashing her pearly white teeth at the bottle-blonde.

Bethany gets up from her spot beside Theo and moves up into Malia's face. "What did you say, bitch?" She threatens, her sickly sweet floral perfume making Malia want to gag.

But she squashes it down and rises above the other girls height, staring her down with fire and gasoline in her eyes, just waiting for the opportunity for them to ignite. "I said-" She reiterates, moving a bold step closer to the blonde, "Maybe he likes a fucking challenge and not a girl to just keep him warm at night. How can you expect him to respect you when you don't even respect yourself?" Malia tempts coolly, her breath blowing in the other girl's face due to their close proximity. "And yes, I am a bitch. A bitch- who isn't afraid to rearrange that pretty face of yours." She warns, a clear bite in her threat. "I would walk away if I were you before I lose my temper."

Bethany backs away quickly like a scared, abused animal. She shakes in her spot next to them, looking to Theo for help.

He smirks, "I'd do what she says. She's a fire cracker and even I can't reign her in."

Bethany pleads with Theo, "Babe, we we're so good together and you just left me for this trailer trash? Do you even know about her and her father? They're outcasts and druggies. That's why you're with her, isn't it? You trade sex for drugs from her? She hardly seems worth it, Theo." Bethany whines, trying to pull him away from the booth.

Malia coughs to cover her laugh, a cheeky smile slanting across her lips, "I didn't have to sleep with him to like me." She says, moving over and snatching Theo out of her arms. "All it took was a chance encounter when I sat in his seat in art class. I proceeded to chew him out when he thought I should move. Between you and me, I think he likes his girls a little mean." She chuckles before turning to Theo, grabbing him by the collar of his leather jacket and pulling him hard against her body until her lips devour him. Theo responds enthusiastically after he gets over his shock, weaving his fingers into her hair and angling his head for better access to her mouth. His tongue plunders her as they collide together and Malia pulls apart, facing Bethany who is fuming in her spot.

Malia sighs in content, "I think we'll take that pie, now. Two banana creams, please." She grins as the manager of the diner comes out from the back to see what all the commotion is.

He gives Bethany a disapproving glare as he makes his way over. It seems he had caught the tail end of their conversation.

The older man looked to be around his mid-40's, a fluffy beard and mustache decorating his face as well as tired eyes and deep laugh lines. "Bethany, meet me in my office, please. I need to have a word with you about customer service." He reprimands. She scurries off to the back of the restaurant with a huff, glaring at Malia as she leaves.

"I'm so sorry about that, folks. Bethany is new and I'm friends with her father. He asked me to give her a job so I told him I'd see how see did the first couple of days. I can see now that it was a mistake. I hope you'll stay and have your pie, it's on the house." He says sincerely with a large smile, gesturing to the booth for them to sit back down while he goes and prepares the pie.

"Thank you, Sir. We appreciate that very much." Theo smiles, shaking the man's hand before sitting back in the booth.

He looks at her searchingly, "Are you okay with staying here?" He asks, making sure she's comfortable.

Malia giggles at his concern and his eyes twinkle in amusement.

He touches his lips and still feels them tingle from the hot kiss Malia had initiated. "I thought you said we couldn't do that anymore, Princess." He grins goofily, his intense eyes falling teasingly to her mouth.

Malia fights down the blush that's creeping up her neck. "Well, I changed my mind. I did it because I wanted to." She sasses, catching his eyes in a heated moment. "Besides, someone needed to bring Bethany down a few pegs." She mumbles, arching her brow at the mirth on his face.

Theo flashes a pair of disarming dimples. "Was that all it was... to spite Bethany?" He prods, his gaze downcast as he waits for her reply.

Was it childish that he hopes that she did it because she was jealous? Malia all hot and dominant was quite a sight. He can't help but wonder if there was any truth in his claims. He wanted her to want him because then maybe he wouldn't feel so insecure about how much he wanted her, too.

The manager, Pop, came and sat their pies in front of them, giving them one last smile before disappearing into the kitchen.

Malia smiles lazily before rolling her brown eyes, "Theo, I'm not doing this right now." She says, closing the subject.

Theo huffs in frustration, "Why can't you just admit that I'm not exactly the last person in the world that you'd mind kissing?" He pesters. He didn't know why, but a part of him needed that validation, however small. He'd finally gotten her to open up to him at the school, but it's difficult to keep her guard down for long.

"I thought we were here for pie and a good time. I'm having fun, Theo, please don't ruin it." She begs, a frown taking over her features and sullen brown eyes staring back at him.

He relents, "Okay...we don't have to talk about it right now... But this conversation is not over." He challenges, looking her dead in the eye. "Tell me more about your dad."

And she does.

"You don't have to carry the burden of your father's mistakes, you know." Theo says earnestly, placing his hand over hers. "You we're just a kid, there was nothing you could of done."

She shrugs her shoulders, sinking deeper into the cushion of the shiny, red booth.

Falling into silence, she sits quietly picking at her pie with her fork.

"What about your mom... What was losing her like? Was it sudden... unexpected, or was it long and drawn out?"

Malia thinks about what it had been like to lose her mom. It hadn't been quick, the signs showing themselves until they were inevitably in front of her face like snap of a rubber band. It had been creeping and slow, like a dose-dive into dementia. She used to be fine, happy and free like she lived her life a million miles per hour. In her adolescence and into meeting her dad, Malia's mom had been a bird, unscathed and unbroken by the perpetual motion the world seemed to move in. But then one day she wasn't anymore. Her eyes drooped with exhaustion, black clouds pressing down on her lungs, angry red lines lashing at her skin, and shadows living in her eyes. And then came the day that she ended it all, a bottle of pills between her flimsy hands and a long way down her throat. She died in her sleep while Malia was at school and her dad took the long shift at work. And when Malia came home to find her, white noise screamed in her ear like the shattering of glass. The worst day of loving her mom was the day that she lost her. Like a tripwire, she was scared to find out. Her mom didn't move when she called her name or when she shook her through the tears that fell freely down her face. The bathroom door was cracked open and something told Malia that her answers were there but all she could do was stand still.

She eventually found the empty pill bottle, clutching it between her hands as she cried. She had called her dad, first. Then the police. Only then did she try to pump the pills from her mother's stomach. But it had been too late. She was gone.

Theo can see there's a story in her eyes, dark and foreboding. A collection of sentences that would never be written.

"My mom never loved me." He states.

Malia sighs, "I guess in a way, that might have made it easier."

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are love!


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